Thu Aug 26 '21 Announcement
over 4 years ago
– Thu, Aug 26, 2021 at 12:54:52 PM
Hi Backers,
Alex and Niko here. First and foremost we would like to thank you for your continued support as we work tirelessly to bring the Aeri Canopy to life.
We know everyone is excited to receive their canopies, so we wanted to share some updates on our production timeline, shipping/logistics, and Backerkit surveys.
Production
We are pleased to report that production on the below core components is 100% complete and ready for final canopy assembly!
-Inflatable Beams
-Pumps
-Backpack cases
-Tethers and stakes
The final phase of production involves cutting and sewing the canopy tops to the beams, quality control checks, and shipping. As you may have heard, there was a COVID outbreak in the Jiangsu region of China earlier this month that resulted in various restrictions and assembly line precautions that have significantly slowed down production in this region. The UV fabric for the canopy tops (as well as most fabrics from China) are produced in the Jiangsu province.
Our supply chain has been directly affected by these events, and as a result we now anticipate our fabric to arrive at our factory for final assembly in mid-September. Our finishing factory will require approximately 30-45 days to produce and quality check the canopies, and we now anticipate an ex-factory ship date of mid to late October. We will be sure to provide another update once the final assembly process begins.
Shipping / Logistics
Another challenge we are currently facing is an unprecedented global shipping surge which is resulting in shipping container shortages, port congestion, and record ocean freight rates. Just a few months ago, a 40’ shipping container would have cost around $5,000 to ship to from China to Los Angeles and would have taken approximately 14 days. Today, container rates are hovering around $20,000 and transit times have more than doubled in some cases. We haven’t seen anything like this in our decade + experience of importing and want to be completely transparent that there may be some further freight related delays with your canopies.
We are working with our partners at Easyship to set up multiple fulfillment centers and efficient “last mile” deliveries in order to mitigate these increased costs and extended timelines. Once production is closer to completion we will provide an update with a more precise delivery schedule.
Backerkit Surveys
We have received a few inquiries about the status of the surveys. We have been working with the Backerkit team on loading in shipping rates from our various fulfillment centers as well as finalizing VAT details for our European backers. Our goal is to make the fulfillment as seamless as possible in this challenging logistics environment, so thank you for your patience as we collaborate with our partners on this process. We will make another announcement once the surveys are sent and are looking forward to your responses!
Again, thank you very much for your continued support. Should you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to [email protected] and we will make sure to address any issues as soon as possible.
Thank you,
Alex, Niko and the Aeri Team
Fri Jul 30 '21 Announcement
over 4 years ago
– Fri, Jul 30, 2021 at 02:15:28 PM
Hello Backers!
We hope everyone is safe, healthy and enjoying their summer. The Aeri Team is excited to announce that we will be partnering with Backerkit to manage the final fulfillment phase of our campaign. This partnership will allow us to provide the smoothest possible post campaign process and a high level of customer service for our backers.
You will be receiving an email from us with a special link to your BackerKit survey. It’s important to respond to your survey as quickly as possible since we need this information to fulfill your rewards.
When you receive the email, please click the survey link to respond. Answer the questions about your Aeri color choice, provide shipping details and payment, and purchase additional add-on items if you like.
Please note that you do not have access to this survey link yet, but it will be available via email in the coming weeks!
Thanks again from the Aeri team for all your support, and please feel free to drop us a line anytime at [email protected] if there is anything we can do to help.
Wed Jun 23 '21 Announcement
almost 5 years ago
– Wed, Jun 23, 2021 at 09:29:41 AM
Hello Backers!
As we mentioned in an earlier update, we are still on track for all of the perk delivery dates. You can check which perk you selected in order to find out when your perk is set to ship out (shipping will begin in September 2021).
Production on all components is proceeding smoothly and you can expect to receive another update in July where you can select your color choice.
Many of you have inquired about the status of the Aeri base pad. Our current design is approximately 8x8ft in size and designed to fit comfortably within the canopy footprint to provide maximum ground coverage.
We are still working hard with our suppliers to release this accessory for purchase, but are running into higher than expected minimum order quantities for our custom design (1000 units). Due to these MOQs and lead time constraints, the base pad will be offered at a later time and ship seperate of the canopy. Please stay tuned for updates, and as always feel free to reach out to us at any time should you need any assistance.
Thanks again for all your support!
Team Aeri
Tue May 18 '21 Announcement
almost 5 years ago
– Tue, May 18, 2021 at 12:16:59 PM
Hi there, friends!
Now that the campaign is officially complete, our team is kicking our production and manufacturing processes into high gear. As we mentioned in an earlier update, we’re still right on track for all of the perk delivery dates. You can check which perk you selected in order to find out when your perk is set to ship out (shipping will begin in September 2021).
The Fun Isn’t Over Yet
Even though the standard Indiegogo pre-order campaign has ended, we’ve decided to set up shop for further pre-orders here on Indiegogo using their “InDemand” model of pre-order sales. It even uses the same link so it’s super easy to share with folks who may not have been able to get their pre-orders in before the campaign officially ended May 7th.
You still can pre-order Aeri and help share the campaign with those who you think may need an Aeri for the summer.
We Want to Know What You Think
Customer feedback always helps us improve. Help us learn more about your color preferences for Aeri. Click through to take a short 1 minute survey
Disclaimer: an official order confirmation will be sent to you to finalize your Aeri order. This survey is just to help us gauge our community’s color preferences so that we can improve our product.
Keep An Eye Out for Updates
You can expect to receive an order confirmation sent to you this summer.
We don’t need anything from you yet, except for you to keep an eye on your inbox: we will post another update about this before starting the process.
We’ll also continue to push out product info, exclusive company news, and insider details to you and all of our other backers through updates like this one. You can expect to hear from us about once a month.
Don’t Hesitate to Reach Out
You can always reach out to our team directly at [email protected] or via Facebook and Instagram - we would love to hear from you, answer any questions you have, and hear about your ideas about the future of Aeri.
Enjoy the adventure,
The Aeri Team
Thu May 6 '21 Announcement
almost 5 years ago
– Thu, May 06, 2021 at 07:52:10 AM
Dear backers -
We can't even begin to describe how grateful we are to you, our earliest supporters - you've truly made us believe in the crowdfunding model and in the community that can be built when there is a great product to bring to the world. THANK YOU!
We met and surpassed our goal MUCH faster than expected and have raised over $230,000 with your help to date. We are so lucky to be able to have the opportunity to show you just how much easier going anywhere and doing anything outdoors can be with Aeri.
Your opinion is in high demand
We’d love to learn more about your Aeri pre-order from you. Please take this survey to share your feedback with us so that we can learn from you and make your Aeri even better.
Final call for discounted Indiegogo pre-orders
Last call: the Aeri campaign ends TONIGHT May 6th at 11:59pm PT.
With endless gratitude,
The Aeri Team
